Lessons From My 20s: Paterno & I Both Have Scandals...

Okay, another post on Lessons I've Learned From My 20s...This one is Paterno & I Both Have Scandals.

I may not look scandalous, but I am...

Much to my husband's embarrassment, I didn't know who Joe Paterno was before this week. But now I do. Everyone is furious at him. It's all over the news. Here is a guy who knew something wrong was happening & didn't stop it. He didn't step in. He was passive.

I wrote a post a few months ago, The Speck and The Plank , that talked about this a bit. So, my lesson is that I am the same as Joe Paterno...I just get paid a bit less. No seriously, I have done the same thing he has. Joe Paterno decided that another person's value wasn't worth the cost. The cost of time it would take to file a complaint. The cost of being interrupted and opening up a can of worms. Most of all, the cost of loosing a coach that was valuable to the team's success.

I have done the same thing. So many times I say nothing about an injustice happening before my eyes:

The whole office is gossiping about a colleague. I don't want to get involved. Besides, if this person gets bad reputation then maybe I will get the promotion instead of them.

I hate that this lady is calling her kids horrible names in the grocery store. That is just terrible. But it would be SO awkward if I said something. I'm sure her kids will forget she called them stupid.

In class everyone is ganging up on another student. Oh, well it isn't a big deal. It isn't serious bullying. Plus, if I stand up for him they may start picking on me too.

I don't manipulate and control other people. I am just very strategic in getting my own way. No one gets hurt too badly in the process. It's just the quickest way to get what I want.

I have had each one of these thoughts. You have too. Somewhere deep inside our society we have decided that oppression & injustice are horrible. Someone should do something about it. Just not if it requires something of me personally.

We have forgotten to sacrifice our needs & wants on behalf of another's needs. Paterno didn't sacrifice his desire to be successful in order to step in for some boys. I haven't sacrificed my desire to be well liked to step in for another who was getting slandered.

Stories like this make me angry and I hope that people go to jail. Abuse of any kind is wrong. Period. I pray for the victims, I pray that justice gets done and I pray that God would change my heart. I ask God to transform the places in me that values myself over other people. I encourage you to do the same.